BTW, it was a common mistake to refer to the Soviet Union as Russia - much like some people call Great Britain (Scotland, N. Ireland, Wales, England) "England". But why not use that "Russia" qoute by Patton to mean he didn't see Belarus, Ukraine, etc., as part of the Soviet Union. More revisionist history from the communist trained spanalot.
All of those areas you name (and more) were part of "Russia" (or the Russias) under the Czar for hundreds of years. The Soviet interlude was relatively short thus the term "Russia" fits rather well.
All of those areas you name (and more) were part of "Russia" (or the Russias) under the Czar for hundreds of years. The Soviet interlude was relatively short thus the term "Russia" fits rather well.